Under Pressure
by Doverstar
Summary: A Lizzie McGuire one-shot. Gordo and Lizzie have always been tight, but when Miranda Sanchez comes back from vacation for a visit, she senses right away things have changed since she was last home. Gordo is obviously crushing on Lizzie, and to spare his feelings, Miranda has to tell Lizzie and discover whether she returns the feelings. Just experimenting. R&R!


**(Author's Note: Silly little fluffy one-shot. That sounded very Winnie-the-Pooh. Oh well. Check my DA Journal for more info. Long story short: I got hooked for the first time on one of Disney Channel's OLD live-action shows: Lizzie McGuire, and absolutely adore the character of Gordo, Lizzie's closest friend. I wasn't allowed to watch it as a kid. But now I am. And it's not on anymore, so to Youtube I went and fell in love with Disney's good old BFF magic between Gordo and Lizzie. They're adorable. Of course, Gordo fell without a shot for Lizzie after a while. I was bored and in a Lizzie mood, so I'm taking a break from PnF just to write this one-shot. It won't make sense if you haven't seen most of the series, specifically the 2nd season. Dunno if you guys remember Lizzie...here's hoping you do. Enjoy.  
**

**This one's gonna switch from 1st-person writing style to 3rd-person a lot. Just go with it. It's part of Lizzie's mind-frame, like in the show. What she's thinking at that moment. You can even imagine her animated alter-ego being her charming, sarcastic self if you want!  
**

**{P.S. For those of you who have seen the movie, Miranda is gone in New Mexico while the last day of school/graduation happens and basically misses a lot, but this is just in between _Dear Lizzie _and _The Lizzie McGuire Movie_, and she's visiting town for a little right before she heads back, so that's why she's here and not in New Mexico like she should be.} ~Doverstar)**

* * *

"Mr. Digs keeps scaring me." I muttered, annoyed, folding my arms around myself on the ride to school, sitting on the bus next to my best friend.

"If you ask me, it's the pressure of being stuck in that stuffy history class with no way out aside from wasting 8 hours a day teaching a bunch of ungrateful students with nothing better to do than pick the lint off their T-shirts." David Gordon, or Gordo to basically everyone, informed me, grunting.

Gordo's the best friend I mentioned. We've known each other since...well, pretty much forever. He's funny, super-smart, and gives amazing advice. He's usually right about a lot of things. He has curly black hair and big eyebrows Mom always calls "expressive" or whatever. I guess that's because he wiggles, raises, and moves them up and down a lot when he has nothing to say. Which isn't often. And he's always lecturing me. About _everything_. But like I said, he's a good friend. The best.

I'm Lizzie McGuire. I'm 14. We both are. I'm blonde, and I love the color pink, and according to Gordo I care way too much about what other people think. My argument is that that's not true. I'm too busy trying not to kill my little brother Matt, and not hitting myself in the face with my own locker door every day to care about everybody else's thoughts. Okay, that's sort of half the truth, but it's a good excuse anyway.

"Gordo, he tried to convince you to wear a Viking helmet and eat that big slab of steak he brought yesterday. Right in front of the whole class!" I blinked, disgusted. "And you did."

"I was hungry."

"Right before lunch?"

"It was better than cafeteria food. You know, I think it all comes from a can."

I heard a shriek at the back of the bus and turned around in my seat to see what had caused it. Oh, goodie. It was Kate Sanders, the most popular girl in school. She used to be friends with us, but that was before she went from 5 to 105 on the social scale. She was playing Truth or Dare with her cheerleading squad back there.

Something else caught my eye.

_She's wearing my top! _

Oh, no, she didn't!

"Gordo!" I tugged on his sleeve. "Look at that."

Gordo popped his head up and glanced backward. He sat back down under the glare of the driver. "Truth or Dare?"

"Yeah, but..."

"It's a complete waste of breath. They just wanna humiliate each other."

"I know, Gordo, but _look_."

"I did."

For a smart guy, Gordo can be so dumb. "No! Look at what she's wearing."

"Which one?" Gordo snuck another peek, looking reluctant.

"Kate."

"Ah..." Gordo narrowed his eyes. "Pink shirt."

"Right. Look familiar?" I folded my arms.

"Yeah."

"_Thank _you!" I huffed. "Isn't she ridiculous?"

"You're gonna hafta be more specific." Gordo glanced down at me.

"Gordo. She is wearing _my _shirt."

Gordo took another look at Kate's top, then shrugged and sat down beside me again. "No. Unless I'm mistaken, your shirt's red, Lizzie."

"_Today_. Yesterday I wore that exact same shirt to school! And now she's copying me. It was new!"

"Tell me again. Why does this matter?" He raised his eyebrows at me. Typical Gordo. I get kinda sick of the Big Picture thing he's hooked on, but hey, whatever floats his boat.

"She's a trend-setter, Gordo. Get a clue. She stole my look! And next week, everybody will be wearing it." I sighed. "She's so...just..."

"As evil as she ever was since the 3rd grade?" Something in Gordo's tone was telling me he couldn't care less.

"I give up." I rolled my eyes. "I wish Miranda would get back from New Mexico. It's killing me without her."

"You mean with nobody to rant to about your girl stuff. Got it."

I gave him a look.

"Hey, I'm fine with that." Gordo put up his palms. "I'm a guy. I don't understand anyway."

"At least we agree on something," I teased.

"We agree on almost everything," Gordo argued, proving my point. Another yell came from the back of the bus. Gordo scoffed, not bothering to look. "Including the fact that Kate is a total dirt bag with a few insignificant years left of high school before her life becomes meaningless."

"Well," I said, looking out the window, "You're right about one thing. We agree she's a total dirt bag."

"You still don't believe high school social status won't matter?" Gordo's turn to sigh.

"Gordo, I focus on the now. Not the then."

"It's called the future, and it's important," he scoffed.

The bus stopped to pick up another passenger.

"You're wasting your breath," came a familiar voice a couple seconds later. "I don't believe you either."

I shot up from my seat, even though it's against the rules. What? I was excited! I _knew _that voice!

"Miranda!" I squealed.

Our other best friend, my _girl _best friend Miranda Sanchez, had just boarded the bus and stopped in the isle beside us. Oh. My. Gosh. After one whole month of vacation and no girl talk and no shopping together and no suffering Kate torment side-by-side, she was _back_!

Gordo's face was just as happy as mine. His mouth hung open for about two seconds before he hopped up to give her a hug. What can I say? This was a huge shock.

I was squeezing the breath out of Miranda while I said, "I missed you so so so so so so _so _much!"

"Yeah, ditto," Gordo added.

We stood there with our arms around each other jabbering until the bus driver snapped at us to "take our seats". I sat behind Gordo this time so Miranda could sit next to me. Miranda was Mexican, and she always had her dark-chocolate-brown hair up in crazy-cute styles. Like today; it was in two little pigtails on top of her head.

"When did you get home?" I practically shrieked. "You never called!" I stopped and said in a firm voice, "You said you'd call."

"Okay, no offense, but you sound like my Mom," Gordo leaned on the back of the top of his seat, joining us.

Someone needs to muzzle him sometimes. Times like these. He's killing my excitement. Seriously.

Miranda grinned. "Well, I got home last night. We're only staying for this week and then we're heading back to New Mexico to see my relatives. I wanted to surprise you."

"Yeah, consider us surprised," Gordo huffed dryly.

Make that impounded. He didn't seem all that happy now. Just sort of...well, I don't know the word for it, but it's not happy and it's not unhappy. Someone get me a Dictionary.

"This is major. You missed a ton of stuff," I told Miranda. Okay, maybe it wasn't major when it came to the things she missed, but I could exaggerate like nobody else. "You know that advice column I did for the school paper right before you left? Well, a week later it became totally popular, and then Gordo got a credit card for, like, a billion dollars..."

"It was for $5,000 and it was worth nothing," Gordo reminded me.

I gave him a roadkill look and went back to talking to Miranda. "Kate's still, well, _Kate_. Oh! And _look _at what she's wearing. Just look."

Miranda shot her eyes toward the rear and turned back to me with her jaw dropping. "She did not!"

"She so did."

"I cannot _believe _her." Miranda groaned. "But I gotta say, one month away from Kate Sanders was, like, total bliss."

"Lucky." I nudged her. She nudged me back. Gosh, I had missed her. "Ooh, and the winter dance is coming up!"

"Ever notice we have a lot of dances?" Gordo interrupted. "It's like a conspiracy."

"Whatever, Gordo," I tried not to laugh. He thinks way too much.

"Who are you gonna go with?" Miranda asked me, eyes sparkling. "Did you get Ethan Craft to ask you out yet?"

"Are you serious?" I couldn't keep the awkward big smile off my face. "Miranda, I wouldn't even get past two _words _to Ethan. How can I ask _him_? He should be the one asking me."

"You think he would?" Gordo's eyebrows pinched the way they did when he was doubting every word I said.

"He should," Miranda scoffed. "You've had a crush on him since forever ago."

"So has every girl in our grade," Gordo cut in again. "I mean, it's a lot more likely he'll go with somebody with bad grades, no compassion, and zero depth." He smirked. "Like Kate."

We laughed at that. So true.

"He's gonna get asked by practically 30 people before he does, though. It's a lot easier to get a date now than it was in middle school," Gordo went on. "Especially if you're tall, own a motorcycle, and have hair that stays in place when you go to P.E. And it helps if you only have half a brain."

"Who are _you _taking to the dance, then, Romeo?" I asked. I was fed up with his negative comments. He's bumming me out.

Gordo got really flustered for some reason. He started moving his hands around like he does when he's trying to prove a point and can't really get his words out. "Me? I-I'm not taking anybody. I mean, nobody's asked...I mean, I don't..." He got control. Like somebody flipped a switch. "Besides, what's the big deal? If you've been to one dance, you've been to 'em all. I more worried about getting out of school alive than who I'm asking to some dance celebrating cold weather."

"It's a seasonal thing," Miranda raised her eyebrows. "Are you feeling okay? Your face is all red."

"Yeah, you look sick," I added. He did. His face was the color of my shirt. Well, maybe not that red, but it was still pretty feverish-looking.

"I'm fine," Gordo said, looking confused.

"Since when did you get antsy about a dance, Gordo?" Miranda added. "Hey, maybe you could take Parker."

Gordo made a face. "Why would I wanna do that?"

"Uh, because she's the only one who even came close to dating you since Brooke Bakers."

"Doesn't mean I wanna take her. She turns guys down because of their height. Not my ideal girl."

I like that about Gordo. He chooses girls with good hearts and doesn't care a whole bunch about their looks. I mean, he's no Ethan Craft when it comes to getting dates, but cut him some slack. We could do with a few more guys like my best friend.

Speaking of which, Miranda was giving Gordo a weird look. And squinting. Miranda doesn't squint at anybody.

"She was willing to dance with you that one time," Miranda scoffed. "Not a lot of girls can say that."

"So was Lizzie," Gordo blurted, getting into the argument.

Now this part was weird. He got this pale look on his face and his mouth opened and his lips moved like he was trying to say something after that, but nothing came out. Usually he only does that when he's nervous. Does he have a crush on some girl at school and he hasn't told us? _Again_? I know that has nothing to do with what he said, but give me a break, it's all I have to go on. Gordo does _not _get nervous. He's...he's _Gordo_. And the last time he looked like this he was crushing on Chelsea Fergenson, the substitute for science class in the spring. He was too embarrassed to tell us until it blew over and she, like, left the state. Trust me, you don't wanna know. Gross! Not that I haven't crushed on a teacher before. I mean, Mr. Keith was pretty cool. But other than that...

He did have a point, though. I danced with him in my backyard one time. It was a real blast. I did it out of sympathy, I guess, because he was complaining nobody asked him to that dance. You know, he's right. We do have a lot of dances. But back to the point. It was fun dancing with Gordo. And it's not like he's he's a bad dancer, either. We always tease him because he's not like the rest of us...he doesn't care what other people think, and that makes him a little socially awkward...but we have to remember he's only human too.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I said, getting worried.

He _can't _be hiding a crush again. That would make it the 5th time _ever_ we've kept a crush secret from each other. And mine are pretty hard to keep in as it is! So what's bugging him?

Gordo hit the top of his seat with a hand like he was angry or something. That kinda shocked him awake, you could say. "Yeah," he managed to mumble. "Just great."

"So are you asking Parker or what?" I crossed my arms. "Because, uh, she didn't treat you very well last time. If you remember."

"I'm not taking anybody," Gordo said. He raised his blue eyes and looked at me for a split second, then he switched to Miranda. Shifting eyes. He's definitely hiding something. "Unless..."

"Unless?" Miranda raised an eyebrow.

Here it is. His big reveal. He's gonna spill it! Tell all!

"Unless you wanna all go together."

I deflated. Great. No juicy details. Not yet. But I'd find out who his crush was sooner or later, right? I always did. Funny, I felt kinda glad. I guess it's because Gordo liking somebody was never the norm' for us anyway. Not a lot of people fall for _him _either, poor guy.

"We always go together," Miranda pointed out.

"Yeah, and no offense, Gordo, you guys, but I want a _real _date this time." I gave them both apologetic looks.

Gordo tensed and raised both eyebrows. "You're sick of flying solo." He officially knows me way too well.

"I would be if I _did _fly solo at dances. I always have you guys with me," I said, looking down. "You think I can even _get _a real date?"

"With your confidence?" Miranda muttered.

I shot her a roadkill look. This one I kept for special occasions, like when my best friends were taking a hammer to my ego.

Miranda put her hands up. "Sorry. I didn't mean it like it sounded. But you've gotta admit you're not all that brave with this stuff," she defended.

"It's not that we don't think you can," Gordo offered falteringly, "we just don't think you..._should_. At least, not with anybody you don't know well enough."

"Who's 'we'?" Miranda squinted at him again. Yikes.

"If I _know_ them, it'd be too weird to go on a date," I said. What's he talking about? He's starting to scare me. It's not like he knew Parker or Brooke that well.

Gordo pursed his lips and I thought I heard him snort. "Yeah." His voice was kind of low. He sat back down, facing forward, so that I could only see the curly tops of his hair.

Miranda made a strange face. "Okay," she said, letting out an annoyed puff of air, and grabbed my arm.

"Hey!"

She dragged me a few empty seats back on the bus as we turned in to the school driveway.

"What's going on?" Miranda leaned toward me with a frustrated expression.

"What do you mean?" I hissed back.

"Gordo!"

"I don't know! He's hiding something."

"Ya think?" Miranda rolled her eyes.

"I think he's crushing," I whispered. "But I don't know who. Maybe we should ask him."

"Lizzie," Miranda's voice was unimpressed. "Did I _miss _something while I was gone? Like, something big?"

"I told you. You missed the credit card and the advice column thing. Oh, _and _a couple weeks ago Matt tried to sell my CD collection..."

"No!" Miranda said, a little too loudly apparently, because she looked around up front like we were being watched and lowered her voice. "I mean something with you. And Gordo."

I was a little surprised, and more than a little confused. Did she mean, like, did we have a fight? She was always trying to break up our arguments when Gordo and I had a misunderstanding. Same with him when me and Miranda fought. Well, she didn't have to worry, and I could prove it. Gordo had been really extra sweet to me while Miranda was gone, so I could throw her concerns away right off the bat.

"Oh," I said, laughing quietly a bit, "No, no, it's all fine, Miranda, seriously. Well, we stopped talking to each other once when he got the credit card and started dissing me, but we're good now."

"Lizzie!" she said again, really mad now. "You're _both _keeping something from me!"

"What?"

"I thought we were best friends!"

"We are!"

"Then what's going _on_? What happened while I was on vacation?" Miranda squeezed my wrist with a hand.

"Nothing!" I told her honestly. I know we're best friends and we practically, like, read each other's _minds _and everything, but did she have to be such a total derk? I wouldn't lie to her! Me and Gordo were fine. Why didn't she believe me? It's not rocket science.

Miranda studied me for a few seconds and her eyes suddenly cleared up. "Ohhh," she said in an annoying, slow way. "I get it! So _you _don't see it."

"See what?" I leaned in, all ears. Something good, I hoped. Maybe _she _knew what he was so jumpy about. Like who he was _really _taking to the dance. I'd have to talk to him about faking it, but it's cool that he'll have a date. I think.

"Lizzie, Gordo's totally jitter-bug around you."

"Yeah. He's hiding something. That's what I said. Well, he knows I'll figure it out eventually, right? Ooh, he might tell us if I give him my chocolate-chip cookie at lunch. I have enough to buy one today."

"Forget the cookies!" Miranda shook my shoulders. I pulled away. She's finally cracked. New Mexico heat? Miranda continued, "Think, Lizzie! Think about while I was gone. Did Gordo act weird like that at all?"

I thought back to the week of the credit card. Nothing weird there. Sure, he was a little testy, but that's it. Then to that one time in the cafeteria where I slipped on some spilled gravy, and dropped my whole tray on top of Kate's new blouse. Gordo kept everybody from staring by standing up on a table and making the whole cafeteria sing "Old McDonald Had a Farm" while I cleaned up and tried to keep Kate from killing me. It was pretty funny, but really nice of him. He's always got my back. And then there was the time I did that advice column for the paper and he was the editor. I wanted to quit, and he convinced me to answer one last letter before I closed the gig. And when I came in the next day to tell him I answered the last question...

_"Hey. Did you get my column?"  
_

_"Yep. And I see you had it in you to answer one last letter."_

_"Well, I couldn't let 'ConfusedGuy' down."  
_

_"...You didn't."  
_

_"What?"  
_

_"Nothing. Um...looks like everything's ready to go here."  
_

Okay, so he was being a little freaky then, but it couldn't _mean _something was going on. Come on, how many times has Gordo told us not to jump to conclusions? And for once, I'll take his advice. There's nothing wrong.

"Lizzie!" Miranda snapped her fingers a couple times in my face. "Anything?"

I thought back again to that same day. Right when I was about to leave the room, Gordo got this really edgy expression on his face.

_"Lizzie, wait. There's something I need to tell you."_

I remember giving him my, like, full attention undivided, which was a stretch because I was helping a friend walk to class so she wouldn't be bullied and I really had to leave. And all he ended up saying was that I gave great advice or something. That wasn't weird, but the way he was, like, jittering in place was kind of scaring me. Then he gave me this sweet smile right before I walked out. I think I smiled back. No, I _know _I smiled back, okay, but I also giggled a little bit, because he's just so confusing sometimes. A real goofball, but don't tell him I said that. And the next day he was back to normal.

"_You give great advice."_

See? Now what's suspicious about that? Nothing. Exactly. I was gonna give her a piece of my mind.

"Maybe you're right, Miranda."

What? I _said _a _piece_ of it.

"But Gordo and I are totally fine," I repeated. "Even though he's crushing all of a sudden...probably...and he won't tell us who it is. He likes taking his time. So what?"

"Oh, you _bet_ he's crushing," Miranda gave me the noodle-neck and leaned awa from me, arms folded, giving me the once over with her dark eyes. It's one of her really pretty features. "Just not on who you think."

"Who? I don't even have a good _guess_." I raised an eyevrow. "We can't spy on him again; he'd go nuclear in, like, a second if he found out!"

"You."

"You what?"

"Not me, you!"

"Miranda! Me _what_?"

"You, Lizzie McGuire!"

"I know my own name."

"I know!"

"Then what are you talking about?"

"Gordo!"

"Now we're talking about _Gordo _again? He's fine!"

"No. He's not."

"Everyone off the bus!" That was the driver.

I looked around and realized me and Miranda were the only ones left inside.

As we grabbed our backpacks and walked down the isle, I said, "So what's the matter with Gordo?" Little Miss Know-it-All. If _I _haven't figured it out, how has _she _figured it out?

"He's crushing. On _you_."

I stopped cold on the steps out of the bus and stared at her. "That's crazy, Miranda."

"Tell that to his little stutter problem." Miranda put on a mocking face and imitated Gordo's deep voice, eyebrows pinching together as she waved her hands and stammered out, "I-I-I...I-I..."

"Really mature," I giggled, head rearing backward. So not impressive.

"I know what I saw."

"So he's nervous about something. So what? It could be anything!"

"It's not. He likes you, Lizzie." She put her hands on her hips. "I thought you and I _knew _when he was crushing. When anybody's crushing! We're girls!"

"I know," I scoffed.

"And we _know _how to _tell _who he likes. You're just not seeing it."

I was so sick of this conversation. I'd been having it with everyone I came across who saw me hanging out with Gordo. We like each other as best friends! Nothing more. He's like...he's like my brother, only not annoying, and not disgusting, and not rude and selfish and weird and...I could go on, but I get the feeling that'd get boring. Whatever. You get the point. Gordo's great. He's just...I don't think of him like that. Do I? Of course not. Right? So how could he think of _me _like that?

I turned to Miranda and gave her one of my special serious faces. Not her too. She was the only one _ever _not to doubt the way Gordo and I's friendship was. "If I liked him, I'd tell you. Wouldn't I?"

Miranda shrugged.

"What does that mean?"

She shrugged again. "I don't know."

"You don't know what it means?"

"No. It means I don't know."

"Don't know _what_?"

"If you'd tell me whether you liked Gordo or not."

"I would! I _so _would!" I let a shocked little noise puff out of me, kind of like a backwards-gasp.

"Oh, I don't think you like him," Miranda assured me kindly. "I'm pretty sure _Gordo _likes _you_."

I groaned. "Miranda, what would make you_ think_ that?"

"The way he's acting. And he mentioned that time you danced with him."

"It was just for fun!"

"Maybe for _you_."

"Miranda!"

"Lizzie!"

I glared at her.

Miranda put her palms up. "Hey, I'm just saying. Remember when you dated Ronnie?"

I felt my heart drop. Ronnie was the paper boy for our street, and my very first real boyfriend. He made me learn to think twice about falling for boys so quickly. He had spiky blonde hair and brown eyes, but he ditched me for some girl at his school. I was nuts about him. And then he had to go and...I don't even like thinking about it. It really hurt. Mom called it my "first broken heart" and told me it would be a really bad memory for a really long time. And the award for the worst advice and reassurance goes to...

But seriously, she didn't have to mention him!

"You _had _to bring up Ronnie," I grumbled, my defense every time someone said his name.

"Face it, Lizzie, Ronnie wasn't gonna stick around," Miranda said. I rolled my eyes. She was always so dramatic. "And guess who was there for you when he left."

Flashback time. Whoopee.

When Ronnie broke up with me I skipped lunch and went to the one quiet, you-wouldn't-be-caught-dead-in-there-in-your-one-hour-of-free-time place I could think of to get all my hurt out: the library, in the back corner between bookshelves at that little table beside the window. I was ripping all my notes regarding Ronnie to little shreds. Partially out of anger and partly because I felt so embarrassed I'd fallen for a guy I couldn't count on. That crush on Ethan Craft seemed so immature then. I felt sick to my stomach, and I'd been crying so much my head hurt. I couldn't wrap my brain around the fact that the first guy that gave me real butterflies and made me feel so lucky to be thought of like that had just up and taken off for some other girl.

That's when I started thinking maybe it wasn't the what the other girl had, but what I _didn't _have. And that just made me cry harder. Kate Sanders and her stupid bullying schemes said it all about me: I was such a loser, I didn't even have a boyfriend for a week before he dumped me.

Then I heard the crinkling of paper while I was tearing my notebook papers to pieces.

_"Are we running on a confetti shortage?"_

_"Not anymore."  
_

_"Missed your lunch today."  
_

_"I-I'm not very hungry."  
_

_"Well, they had the big chocolate-chip cookies. I got you one."  
_

_"Thanks. ...Ronnie broke up with me."  
_

_"He's a loser."  
_

_"No, Gordo! I'm the loser. Okay? He likes another girl! She's probably prettier than me. And she's probably smarter than me. And she's probably a lot more fun than I am!"  
_

_"No, she's not."  
_

_"How do you know?"  
_

_"Because there's nobody prettier than you, or more fun to be with."  
_

_"You forgot smarter."_

_"Yeah, well, I was including myself in that one."_

_"I feel so awful."  
_

_"I know. But you'll get over it. Whereas that guy? He's gonna realize what an idiot he was. And he's gonna feel awful for the rest of his life."  
_

_"You're such a good friend, Gordo."  
_

_"Yeah. Well, uh..."  
_

_"What? ...Gordo, what?"  
_

_"Ah...nothing, nothing."  
_

And that was it. He came and gave me a chocolate-chip cookie and was being really sweet and comforting me. Just like Gordo always does. I can't think of hardly any time when he's not been there for me when I felt like the biggest moron on the planet. And I try my best to do the same for him. Sometimes even Gordo needs help. But he's usually too busy helping me. Did he need help that day? What was he going to say? He was really trying hard to make me feel better, I know. He _is _the best. Like, besides Miranda. But Gordo's known me my entire life. And he always has my back. He knows exactly what to say. He's basically right about everything.

"Lizzie?" Miranda's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Well?"

I sighed. "Gordo. Gordo was there." I glowerd at her, about to repeat what I'd said in my head. "Just like he _always _is. We're best _friends_, Miranda."

Then I ran one of his sentences from that moment through my head. It kind of popped up unexpectedly.

_"There's nobody prettier than you or more fun to be with."_

Wait a minute. Sweet, yeah, but since when did Gordo tell me I was pretty? Usually he was telling me not to care about my looks and more about what was inside. Care about people, not what they think of you. The Gordo motto. Well, once when he was trying to help me get a date with Ethan, I was feeling pretty lousy and I tried to convince myself out loud that I was at least decent-looking, and he basically agreed by telling me I was "very pretty". Hmm. Maybe Miranda's on to something. Gordo has been acting a little strange. Yeah, I see it now. Something's up. But he _can't _like me. That's just weird.

"Maybe he likes somebody else," I suggested weakly. "Maybe he's just afraid I'll find out. M-Maybe it's somebody I don't like all that much and he's worried about what I'll think."

"Like who, Kate?" Miranda gave me an _Okay, seriously? _look and tightened her mouth into a little bow shape at me. It's what she looks like when she's unimpressed. "I talked to him when you were off with Ronnie. He said he didn't think about what it would be like when you got a boyfriend."

I pinched my eyebrows again. "Right. It's weird because we've known each other so long. It's not like I was crazy about the idea of him and Brooke."

"I asked him if he was jealous."

"He said no."

"He said no. But he did that little, 'I-I-I' thing again." Miranda made a dopey face.

"Ladies, while we're still young," the bus driver glared at us.

Miranda followed me off the bus and we walked toward the school building. "I'm trying to help you, Lizzie. And Gordo. You obviously can't tell!"

"I can tell!" I insisted. "Which is why I know you're wrong. I've known Gordo longer." I put up a hand. "No offense."

"Whatever," Miranda threw up her arms in exasperation. "Look, Lizzie, arguing isn't how I wanted it when I came back for a visit."

"So let's forget about it," I offered, tucking a strand of hair behind an ear. "Okay?"

"Sure." Miranda shrugged. "I'm gonna put my stuff in my locker. I'll be right back."

We were in the hallway now. I watched her go. She believed me about Gordo, right? I mean, even if he _did _like me, I wouldn't like him back and that would just stink for him! And I _don't _like him. It would be...it would be so weird.

"Lizzie."

I turned around. Gordo was approaching me. He was wringing his hands and his eyebrows were way up in his hairline. Something serious?

"Miranda went to her locker," I explained.

"Oh. Good."

I wasn't sure if I'd heard him right. Did he say that was good? Maybe he said she _should_.

Best to check.

"Um, why is that a good thing?" I gave him a confused half-laugh.

"Uh, what?"

"Nothing."

"'Kay."

It was quiet for a second and I started walking. "I'm gonna join her. See you in class."

"Wait!"

I glanced at him over my shoulder, stopping. Something's bothering him. I can tell. Time to solve another problem. "Yeah?"

He noticed he was wringing his hands and stuffed them into his pockets. "I'll walk with you."

"Okay, but we gotta hurry. Gordo, is something, um, wrong?"

He looked at me a little too quickly and I had to stagger sideways to avoid our heads colliding. I regained my balance and kept walking. Somebody's tense.

"Nope. Ah...hey, have you asked Ethan to the dance yet?" He clapped both hands together and kept them like that at his chest.

I blinked. "No way. It would be totally mortifying, Gordo. I'll just...wait for him to ask me." I smiled straight ahead, as if I had it all planned out.

"You really think he would?"

I decided to go for optimistic. It always works for him. "You never know. Anything can happen, right?"

"No." He held up a finger. "Man can't naturally fly. And fire will never be cold; jumping into a pool will never have you coming out dry a second later..."

So optimisim is Gordo's best friend and when I try it I end up looking like a total sap? Thank you, irony. Playing favorites. I bet you hang out with Kate Sanders too.

"Thanks for the confidence boost, Gordo," I leered at him.

He ducked his head. "When was the last time Ethan wanted you to go out with him?"

I rolled my eyes. We'd had this conversation a dozen times, me and him. "So far? Including today? ...Never."

"So what makes you think he'll ask you out now?"

"Nothing. Gordo, why do you always have to be such a kill-joy?"

"I'm just saying you might wanna lower your expectations. He said he wanted to be 'just friends'. _Twice_. What are you gonna do if no one asks you?"

"I don't know." I hadn't really considered that. "I probably won't go."

Then he started rubbing his hands together like one of those wigged-out mad scientists on Matt's Saturday-morning cartoons. Another symptom of Gordo-phobia.

"Exactly, yeah. Right, I mean, who wants to go to another cliche school dance anyway?" He said, dragging out the _E_ in the beginning of _exactly_.

"Right. It's probably gonna be boring."

"Right."

"Right."

He licked his lips like they were dry, also something he did when he was inwardly freaking out over something.

"Gordo, do you need something?" I finally asked. What? I was getting fed up with his attitude. One minute he's Gordo, the next minute he's Gordo being bit by fire ants, all jittery and jumpy.

He glanced up at me and stared right into my eyes for, like, 10 whole seconds, and then he shook his head slowly, breaking contact. "Nah...never mind."

"What?" I was concerned now. He needed to talk to me. I'm not stupid. He had something major on his mind. Well, who else did he have to talk to? "Gordo, what?"

He opened his mouth, moved it a couple times with nothing coming out, closed it, tightened it, and turned on his heel with his eyebrows practically covering his eyes.

"Uh, nothing. I'm gonna...I'll, uh, I'll see you at class, Lizzie."

"Are you okay?" I hurried in front of my friend before he could walk away. "You're being really weird, Gordo. It's kind of scary."

He was wringing his hands for the fortieth time that morning. Then he bounced on his toes a little, and his eyebrows didn't move an inch. Yup. Gordo was going nuts inside his own big brain.

This is now code red!

I snapped my fingers in front of Gordo's face, a Miranda tactic. "Gordo! Wake up! Earth to David!"

He was back to normal then, or at least out of whatever daze he went into. Whenever someone calls him his real name, Gordo always seems surprised and you have his full attention for like, half a second. It's fun.

"Nothing," Gordo faltered.

He stopped wringing his hands and looked away. He started walking off, then stopped. I watched him warily. I'd go after him a second later anyway, wouldn't I? He turned around and walked right back up to me with this firm light in his blue eyes.

"Listen, Lizzie, if Ethan doesn't ask you and you end up not going," Gordo said, gesturing with his hands kind of steadily, "what if you went...with me?"

I stared at him. For a few seconds, tons of stuff went through my head, making it seem like 10 minutes standing there:

Go to the dance with Gordo?

Sounds like fun!

Wait, not fun. What do I even have to wear?

Is he asking me out? On a date? _Gordo_?

What about Miranda? She should come too.

Hang on, do I even feel like going to the dance at all?

Who says Ethan Craft _won't _ask me?

Gordo's still got something on his mind. Doesn't he? Or was that it?

Maybe Miranda was right.

No way!

Miranda was right.

Sometimes I think I'm a little crazy myself.

What would Kate say? Or Claire?

Miranda was _right_.

I do have that pink dress.

Gordo's danced with me before. It's _fun_.

He's my best friend.

Can't he ask Parker? Brooke, he could ask Brooke.

I'd help him.

He just wants to be able to go to the dance.

Doesn't that mean he cares what people think?

Not Gordo. He could care less.

Gordo doesn't want me to be sitting home alone while everybody else is having a good time at the dance.

That's so sweet!

He hates school activities.

What else do I have to do that night?

If Matt finds out he'll make a big deal and Mom and Dad will ruin my home life with teasing. Endless teasing!

It's just one dance.

He's never _been _my date to a dance before!

Not true.

So true!

Not. He was my date when Parker turned him down.

No, he was Miranda's date too. Three Amigos!

Now I really want Mexican food.

Miranda. Was. _Right_.

Gordo _likes _me!

Ding ding ding ding ding!

_That's _what he was nervous about!

Asking me to the dance!

Should I say yes?

It's gonna be awkward either way.

I'll say no.

He'll give me that frown.

I hate the frown.

Not the frown.

Oh please, no.

Him and his blue eyes and that disappointed frown.

I won't get the frown if I say yes.

But then that'll ruin our friendship!

What if I don't _like _Gordo?

This is so stupid.

Why would he ask _me_?

Gordo deserves better.

I've known him since I was one year old!

He doesn't _like _me like me. He's being nice.

Like a good best friend, trying to keep me from feeling left out.

He's being Gordo. Good ol' Gordo.

"Lizzie?"

My turn to wake up.

Gordo's eyebrows raised up and he stared at me. I stood there in silence while people passed us by in the hall, until I realized he was waiting for me to answer him.

I said immediately, "You're a great friend, Gordo."

That's when it happened. I think I saw him scowl. Like, one of his really convincing bitter scowls, when he's so frustrated he makes a face to prove it. But then it was gone and replaced with confusion all over his expression.

"Not that I don't like hearing that," he said in his too-deep voice, cocking his head, "but why am I a great friend?"

I laughed. "Because you're looking out for me."

His eyebrows lowered a little.

"You know. Trying to make sure I'm not left out." I raised _my_ eyebrows. "Right?"

Gordo let out a long exhale, and nodded, his shoulders slumping. Huh. "Yeah. Yeah, great."

We started walking again.

"So...does that mean you're coming with me?" Gordo asked.

I nudged him with my shoulder. "Uh, hello! What did it sound like, Einstein?"

"Sounded an awful lot like I was a great friend."

"And clueless."

"_I'm _clueless."

"Oh good, I'm glad we agree."

"We always agree."

"No, I'm right and you, like, _realize _I'm right, and then you just go along with whatever I'm doing."

"That's what happens, huh?"

"That's it."

"Yes or no, Lizzie?"

"It's a yes."

"Really?"

"But it's gonna cost you."

"This is what 'best friends' means to you?"

"If it means a big chocolate-chip cookie after lunch, then yes."

"Fine. I surrender."

"You really are great, Gordo. You know that?"

"So I'm not taken for granted?"

I stopped and smiled at him, baffled. Say what? "Who said you were? I'll sic Miranda on 'em!"

He chuckled. "Nobody."

We continued down the hall.

"Thanks, Lizzie."

I'm not sure that day what Gordo was thanking me for. Because I said yes? Or because I called him a great friend? Or maybe for just being his friend, period. If that's the case, then that's _definitely _something we agree on.

Miranda's wrong. Gordo and I are friends. Not an item.

Scratch that. We're _best _friends.

And I'm totally happy exactly the way we are.

...Right?


End file.
